If you've heard Denver six-piece The Belle Jar, you know their energetic folk-rock sound. Their 2013 record, Union Station, is downright lovely, in the vein of fellow Denver folk-rockers The Lumineers. Friday night at the hi-dive, you might hear something new.

We talked with bassist Matthew Vermillion, who said the band has started recording a new, Sigur Ros-influenced EP. We'll let him tell you about it, though.

Let's start with something for those who might not know you. What should everyone know about The Belle Jar?

Ryan started the project out in California and played some shows out there as a singer-songwriter, and came back to Colorado. Slowly, over a couple years, all of us got involved. Our sound has really evolved. Once we've gotten everybody on board, once we've gotten everyone contributing, the dynamic that each musician brings to the band really influences our sound in a positive way and makes everything more interesting.

I know you got back into the studio in February. Where are you with that now?

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We got a good bit done. It's an EP we're recording, and we got some tracking done, and we actually put that on pause temporarily because we've put some effort into promotion nationwide. We're doing promotion with a company to do radio play and get licensed for soundtracks and stuff like that. In addition to that, we're going on a mini tour of the Midwest starting the 24th [of April]. We're going out to play Mid West Music Fest in Winona, Minn., then we're hitting St. Paul and Chicago, playing the Elbow Room. We're putting the recording on hold and raising a little money.

How does the new material compare to Union Station?

The way I would describe it is, I'm hearing more Sigur Ros influence happening. We're doing more instrumental-type development. We've still got the good folk rock song in there, but we have some that are a little — I don't know how to say it — we've got this one that's more orchestral, because the girls add a lot on their violin parts. It's in the same vein and I think it'll show maturation.

Will we hear any of that at the hi-dive?

I think we'll probably play all of the songs that are gonna be on the EP.

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